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The other day I was talking to Paul Riario, Guitar World’s gear editor. The subject came around to why women don’t buy more gear. My reply to Riario was, “You’re right. I would buy a new pair of shoes before I picked up a new guitar accessory.”

Hi, gang. I've been getting numerous questions asking why the recordings you are doing at home don't sound like your favorite CD! I gave that some thought and came up with what I will refer to as the Seven Deadly Sins you are making! (And by the way, thanks to the people who sent me mp3s to critique.) So here goes ...

Perhaps we misjudged you. When we introduced the first Exposed article last month, we were blown away by the overwhelming support and interest in these fine ladies and their guitar prowess. So here we are again, presenting 10 more artists who share a passion for guitar. They are from different eras, genres, and philosophies, but all know their way around a guitar –- be it acoustic, electric, or classical.

Hello, friend, and welcome back to your Cerebral Upheaval. I am your host, Dan Sugarman. Today we are going to take a look at one band's life on the road, through the eyes of an idiot. The specimens name in which we will be observing this journey through will not be mentioned, but what I can tell you is this: he looks a lot like myself. No relation. With that being said, let us begin.

As an example of Brooklyn Cowboy Kitsch and flat-out guitar coolness this first-year Gretsch Model 6130 Roundup is sure hard to beat! Perhaps it was overcompensation for being up north in the big city, or maybe just an example of '50s exuberance, but when Gretsch decided to create a solidbody guitar for the country/western market, they really went all in with this one.

Usually I’m not a fan of over-ornamented and over-inlayed guitars composed of a dozen different woods. But since the Temples of Syrinx will soon require that all guitars be made from recycled Prius battery casings, let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve gotten with tree flesh.

In my last blog, I left off encouraging shaking up "ordinary" life routines as a way of tricking oneself into unblocking and remaining inspired. For example, brushing your teeth with the opposite hand, switching the knife and fork hands, washing yourself in the opposite direction of habit, etc.

Here in 2011, it feels like the electrical interwebs have been with us forever. But it wasn't always so. Once upon a time, way back in the 1990s, the internet was a strange, disconnected place. Tech-savvy fans passed info around via primitive newsgroups, and even if they used the internet to track down bootlegs of their favorite artists they still traded them as actual CDs through the mail

There’s something about classical guitar that just blows me away. The classical world’s version of shred is so technically mind-boggling and gorgeously rendered at the same time. And Grammy Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin is truly a master of this genre.

I build and repair guitars and basses professionally, and I’ve also played guitar in a number of bands over the years. If your instrument is difficult to play or you want to hotrod your favorite guitar, this is where I can help. And from time to time, I will be sharing tips for getting the sound that you want to hear out of your gear or alerting you to new toys that I find irresistible.